The “why” and “how” of blogging for business

If you’re a business owner of any kind, you need to have a presence online. This isn’t new advice, and neither is the standard line you hear proclaiming that you have to have a blog. These are undeniable truths these days, especially with Google’s re-weighting of content and authorship. In fact it is more important to have a blog now than it was just 3 years ago.

While it’s great to know, this advice doesn’t help you much if you’re not a writer, can’t afford to hire one and have no idea where to come up with content. That’s why we are going to take some time today to talk about why you need a blog and learn how you can come up with some great ideas to write about, even if you’re business isn’t all that interesting.

The why…

Blogs are important feature of websites. They help your site’s visibility and search engines like them. They are moving parts to a website that tell search engines that your site is more likely to be relevant and up to date, exactly what searchers are looking for in terms of content. This is important because it is among the 100 different things SEO spiders look for when they crawl your site.

Having moving, relevant content that speaks to the purpose of your website helps search engines know when to pull up your site in search results. Essentially, it helps a search engine match Jane D. in Ohio who is looking for a new plumber with Plumber B in Ohio who just happens to have the services she needs. Of course it is more complicated than this, but if you understand this premise, you’re off to a great start when it is time to create content.

But there are other, less technical reasons you want a blog. Simply stated, a blog showcases your expertise and authority in any given subject matter. When you create helpful content over topics relevant to your business, you are showing the world you know what you’re talking about. When people see this, and get into a habit of relying on you for information, you’re more likely to be their go-to provider when they end up needing the types of services you provide.

The how…

So, we can see how having a blog is important, but that leaves the problem of what your blog should cover. After all, you’re business might not seem particularly noteworthy to the general public. The good news is that no matter what your business is, there is always something interesting to write about, you just have to look for it. Grab a pen and paper and follow this exercise to generate some winning ideas for your company’s blog.

First off, you need to figure out what your website is about and who it is for, potential clients and customers or for other businesses. You’ll see this summarized as either “business to business” or “business to customer.” If you’re talking to other businesses you’ll need to adapt a certain tone and pick different topics than if you’re talking to current and potential customers.

Next, write down some of the things you sell or the services you provide. For instance, if you owned a bike shop you might write down: Ten speeds, tires, helmets, tubes, water bottles and air pumps. Now that you have a list of things important to your business, you can break it down further by writing out a few things connected to or important to these items.

As an example, we’ll take this example and go a bit further. For instance, if you were a bike shop owner, you might further break down your initial list like this:

Water Bottles

The importance of hydration and biking

The best water bottles for long distance biking

Comparisons of different types of water bottle materials

Best and worst water bottle clips/devises for mountain bikes

From that initial services you now have some specific topics for blogs. These are topics that people interested in your service would also be interested in reading. In the eyes of the public, the same people that would search for “bike shops” or related subjects, these blogs will be seen as a helpful service. These blogs will also help you solidify your status as an expert in your field.

It doesn’t matter what your business is, there is always something to write about. Tapping into your creative side isn’t hard, and if you’re willing to do a little brainstorming, you can come up with great blog topics. This is just one way to generate ideas and fill up those blog pages while connecting with the public and attracting new customers.

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